I Love You More
by freechampismyotp
Summary: Hook isn't the great Father Emma had hoped he would be, his heavy drinking goes hand in hand with actions that made Emma cower away in fear. In her darkest moment, when she feels everything falling apart she reaches for her phone and dials Regina's number... SWAN QUEEN! (Written for my internet bestie, Aimee)
1. Chapter 1

**PLS DON'T HATE ME, I'VE KINDA STARTED A NEW FIC, I WILL TRY AND UPDATE BOTH OF MY ONGOING FICS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE!**

 **THIS ONE JUST POPPED INTO MY HEAD AND I HAD TO WRITE IT!**

 **ENJOY...**

"Regina, please pick up the phone..?" Emma begged as she rocked her three week old baby girl in her arms.

She had been screaming for the past 1 hour and Emma couldn't take her little squeals anymore.

Emma was in a loose tank top, to accommodate for her still lightly swollen belly and a pair of pyjama shorts.

She had tears running relentlessly down her cheeks and her eyes were red and tired.

"Miss Swan..?" Regina bit her tongue as soon as she heard Emma's new-born's screams in the foreground.

"Regina, I need your help…" Emma let out a sob, she was so completely and utterly exhausted she couldn't control her emotional outlets anymore.

Regina's heart broke as she heard Emma crying down the phone to her.

"Is Hook not there?" Regina asked, confused as to why Emma would me phoning her and the not the one handed wonder.

"He went out again, please, I wouldn't usually ask, but I can't get her to settle and I'm so tired…" Emma stopped speaking as Regina materialised next to her.

Regina was dressed in her silk pyjamas, as it was almost midnight.

Henry was at a friend's house, so Regina really had no excuse for not helping out her friend.

After the trip to the underworld Robin had unsurprisingly brought Marian back, once again leaving Regina alone and single.

The older woman had told Robin never to speak to her again, she refused to be his second choice ever again.

Regina outstretched her arms, with the intention of Emma passing the baby to her, but Emma let out a sob, letting her own body be wrapped up in Regina's embrace.

"Emma, dear…" Regina simply rubbed Emma's back, feeling the blonde's tears soaking her pyjama shirt.

Regina had known that Hook's and Emma's relationship since the Underworld had been rocky.

Especially since Emma had said she knew she was pregnant before they had entered the Underworld.

Hook had shouted and hit Emma when he found this out, screaming at her that the child was the only reason she came after him.

Emma begged him to see that she loved him, but he'd changed, he had wanted to die in the Underworld and in his eyes it was Emma's selfish actions that had stopped him from fulfilling his wishes.

Regina had tried to see Emma for coffee at least once a week, but their visits became sparser as Emma's stomach grew larger, along with her bruises.

Regina begged Emma over and over to leave Hook, but the blonde was so blinded by her love for him that she blamed herself for everything that was happening.

But once the baby had been born, Emma had hoped Hook would change.

He didn't.

He continued to drink heavily and roll up in the early hours of the Morning.

He would then take his Wife, who was still sore from her pregnancy, in any way he wanted.

He then complained the child was too noisy, or too tiring, or too something.

The way he talked about their Daughter infuriated Emma, but she became quickly determined not to let another child grow up without it's Father.

But the past few days had been almost unbearable. Hook had barely been home, and when he was he had been forcing Emma to do things that she really didn't want to do.

The poor blonde was at the end, she was too tired and too emotionally exhausted to function anymore.

That's why she had phoned Regina, who had been her rock for the past 7 months, she just needed to be around someone who cared.

"Emma, dear… Let me see to this Little One…" Regina pulled back, lacing her arms around the tiny squirming bundle in Emma's arms.

Emma watched as Regina cradled the little girl to her chest, the girl still refusing to quieten.

"Go and have a shower, I'll prepare us a snack and we can have a chat." Regina smiled, Emma tracing her finger up and down the little girl's side. "She'll be ok…"

Regina smiled, not moving until Emma had made her way to the back of the apartment into the Master Bedroom.

"Now, now, Little One, let's give you Mama a bit of a rest shall we?" Regina rocked the baby against her chest.

Regina walked around the roomy apartment, picking out some soup from Emma's cupboard, and finding some bread to put next to it.

"Is that better is it?" Regina asked, the little girl's screams turning into softer sniffles.

Regina caressed the Little Girl's cheek, the baby girl suckling on the finger with her eyes half closed.

"Oh, you're tired, baby?" Regina snuggled the blanket tighter around the baby who seemed to be dozing off.

Just as Regina had finished heating up the 2 bowls of soup, Emma emerged from the bathroom.

Her hair was wet and stuck to her back, a big hoodie was slung over her figure, and a pair of leggings clung to her toned legs.

"You got her to stop crying." Emma smiled tiredly, her eyes half closed as she slumped into one of the breakfast bar stools.

Regina sighed, Emma almost asleep as she rested her head on the side.

Regina glanced down at the sleeping Little Girl in her arms, their noses completely identical.

"Why don't we go and eat in your bed, dear? I can snuggle with this Little Munchkin, and you can get some food inside of you and a good rest." Regina smiled, holding out a plate with a bowl of soup on and 2 rounds of bread.

"It's ok, I can take her…" Emma reached out for the baby, but Regina shook her head lightly, tapping Emma's hands away and pushing the bowl into them.

"You need a proper rest, dear." Regina took her own plate, balancing it, her other arm around the tired baby.

By the time they were settled onto Emma's bed, Emma having flicked on the TV, the baby was asleep on Emma's chest.

"Whale thinks she had Colic…" Emma bit into her bread, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she chewed.

"Well, she gets it from you, dear, Henry had Colic as well…" Regina shifted the baby so she was laid on her shoulder and Regina could also eat her bread.

"Sorry." Emma suddenly mumbled, Regina sighing to see tears rolling down Emma's cheeks again.

"My dear, you have nothing to be sorry for." Regina put down her bread to try and placate Emma, but she wasn't having it.

"You did all of this by yourself, and here I am, a crying mess!" Emma sobbed, putting down her food and scooping the child off Regina.

"I didn't have a boyfriend who hit me." Regina said bluntly, brushing a piece of hair from in front of Emma's eyes.

"He doesn't mean to…" Emma whimpered, holding the Little Girl close.

"He does, Emma. Come here, my dear…" Regina closed her arms around both of the girls once again.

Emma came undone, she didn't want to feel like this anymore.

She was constantly tired and on edge, not wanting to upset Hook in the fear that he would hurt her baby.

"Why don't you come back to mine?" Regina whispered to Emma, who was shaking from her crying.

Regina was surprised the baby hadn't awoke.

"All of the baby's stuff is here, I can't just…" Emma wanted nothing more than to run, but she didn't know if it was a wise idea.

"You can, Emma I have magic dear, we can all be away from here in less than a second if you wish." Regina stayed quiet a few minutes, giving Emma chance to process what she had said.

"Can you take me away?" Emma whispered, Regina simply flicked her wrist.

Emma's eyes opened slowly to reveal they were now sat on a larger, more pluscious double bed.

Regina was still beside her and the baby was still in her arms.

The crib and everything had been transported next to Emma's side of the bed. Emma's wardrobe also stood next to Regina's.

"It's ok, you're safe now." Regina rubbed Emma's side. "Both of you."

They sat still for quite a while, Emma starting to doze off in Regina's arms.

"Let me take her…" Regina slipped the baby from in Emma's tight grasp. "I'll look after her, I promise, get some rest…"

Regina slipped the thick duvet over Emma, the blonde was asleep in less than a second.

Regina padded quietly out of the room, making her way down the stairs with the snoozing child in her arms.

Hook hadn't been around enough to name the child, and Emma refused to do it without him.

Regina bit her lip as realised just how much Emma had been desperately trying for the three of them to make it as a family.

It had been at times physically painful for Emma to with people over the value of having Hook in her life.

Henry had been accommodating.

But Henry was equally naïve.

He didn't see Emma's bruises as abuse, he just thought every couple had their arguments.

Regina knew it didn't make him a bad kid, but at times she wondered how he slept at night, knowing his Mother was probably enduring another sleepless night with her new-born.

Regina had barely stood still for a few seconds, when the baby started to scream, Regina started to move again, hushing her gently as she quietened again.

Regina paced around the house, glancing at all of the pictures strewn around the sides.

"That's your Big Brother, Little One…" Regina smiled, patting the baby's bum as she rocked her.

They did a few laps of the house, Regina becoming lost in the motions when suddenly the front door opened.

"MOM, I'M HOME!" He bellowed, used to usually an empty household, apart from his Mother.

Regina cursed as the little girl started to scream in her arms.

"MOM?!" Henry dashed into the Kitchen, where Regina had reached, surprised to see a baby in her arms.

"Henry, I wasn't expecting you home…" Regina tried to pacify the screaming baby, but she wasn't having it.

"The party sucked." The 16 year old grumbled, forgetting the fact his little sister was screaming in the wrong Mother's arms.

"Henry…" Both Regina and Henry turned around to see Emma stood tiredly in the doorway.

"Emma, dear, you should be in bed." Regina walked over to the still exhausted blonde, silently cursing Henry for his loud voice, which had resulted in both of the Swan ladies waking up.

"She needs feeding… I'm not that…" Emma broke to take a yawn.

"You look like a zombie, Ma! Why are you here anyway?" Henry asked, Emma's eyes filling with tears as Regina passed the baby to her.

"I said I'd help her look after the baby for a few days, until she gets back on her feet." Regina said quickly, walking from the room with Emma, before Henry had a chance to ask any more questions.

Emma followed Regina's guiding touch, until they were sat next to one another on Regina's plush sofa.

"Here, let me hold her whilst you get yourself sorted." Regina pried the little girl from Emma's arms, Emma blushing as she lifted her top and unclasped her bra.

She let out an involuntary gasp as her breast was released from the pressure of the bra.

Regina passed the baby back, Emma tilting the girls head against her to get her to grip on her nipple.

"Come on, kid, I'm too tired for this shit…." Emma was on the verge of tears, when Regina decided it was definitely time for her to intervene.

"Hey… Come on now…" The little girl was still crying, and now so was her Mother.

Regina pressed her front against Emma's side, sitting sideways on the sofa so she could wrap her arms around both Emma and the baby.

"I'm too tired…" Emma sobbed, watching Regina cautiously guide the baby's head to Emma's breast.

Finally, she started to suckle, Emma leaning her head against Regina's and crying.

"It's alright dear, it's alright…" Regina rubbed Emma's back, kissing the side of Emma's face as the salty liquid ran over lips.

"I'm sorry, you don't need us walking in here and…" Regina shushed Emma, brushing her hand over Emma's delicate blonde curls, maintaining the soothing action until the little girl had had her fill.

Emma burped her quickly before lying against the back of the sofa and resting the baby on her chest.

"Hook is going to hate me." Emma bit her lip, rolling it between her teeth.

Regina sighed, resting her hand on the baby's back.

"I just… I can't live like that, I'm constantly worried he's going to hurt her." Emma tightened her hold on the little girl, Regina brushing her thumb over Emma's hand as they both rested on her back.

"You deserve to be safe Emma, you're safe here, I promise." Regina watched as Emma's eyes danced closed once again. "Let's get you to bed, I can look after this Little One…"

Regina tried to take the baby off Emma, but she clung on.

"Ok, let's get you both to bed." Regina helped the new Mother off the sofa, guiding her up the stairs.

Regina didn't hesitate to lead her into the master bedroom, Emma not arguing as Regina pushed her gently towards the big bed.

Emma climbed in, then laid the little girl next to her, letting her kick her little legs up and down as she chewed on Emma's finger.

"She's so beautiful…" Emma whispered.

It was dark in the room, but Regina could see the tears glistening in Emma's eyes.

"Just like her Mama…" Regina smiled, pulling the covers over Emma and lifting the baby from the bed, so she could lie down next to Emma, the baby on her chest. Emma whimpered at the loss of contact, Regina taking the vulnerable woman's hand and placing it on the baby's back once more. "Get some rest, dear…"

Regina reached her free hand over to stroke Emma's hair, the simple action soon lulling Emma's body to sleep.

Regina watched Emma's limp hand drop from her baby's back, snuggling into the pillow, before starting to lightly snore.

 **PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I SHOULD CONTINUE!**


	2. Chapter 2

**THANKS FOR ALL OF THE AWESOME FEEDBACK, HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER, AS ALWAYS LEAVE A REVIEW!**

 **ALSO COMMENT IF YOU CAME FROM INSTA FOR A SPAM!**

 **ENJOY...**

Regina laid still for a good 10 minutes, ensuring Emma was asleep.

The blonde had fallen asleep almost instantly, Regina just hoping that the little one would give her a reasonable rest before deciding she needed some more food.

As Emma had snuggled under the covers her top had rucked up to the side slightly, troubling Regina's mind as purple bruises came into site.

Red marks licked at the top of Emma's arms, and made Regina feel positively sickened by what she had been through.

Emma had risked her life over and over to save Hook from the Underworld.

Regina was just thankful they had defeated Hades and Emma hadn't been forced to give up half her heart.

And this was how he repaid her.

With violence and abuse.

It made Regina inexplicably angry as she thought of how Emma only ever thought of everyone else, she had stayed with Hook and save him from the Underworld for her Daughter.

Regina knew when she had told Emma in the Underworld that she was too good for Hook, it wasn't a lie, and Emma had known it.

Regina shuffled off the bed as the little girl started to grizzle.

Regina wrapped the discarded blanket around the baby cosily and wandered from the room, hoping Emma wouldn't panic if she awoke and both her and the baby had disappeared. Regina wandered downstairs, seeing it was now gone midnight.

She hummed quietly whist rocking the baby gently in her arms, aimlessly wandering into the lounge.

She chuckled to see Henry fast asleep on the sofa, a game controller in his hands and his head lolled back onto the cushions.

The brunette looked over at her son, remembering when he had been but a tiny little one in her arms.

For the first few weeks he had cried, and screamed, and grizzled constantly.

It had broken Regina's heart to the point where she decided she couldn't do it anymore, but when she had gone to give him back she had found she couldn't.

He was too precious to her, and her fondness for him was too great.

Even though at times he wasn't the perfect child, and ultimately adopting the Saviour's child wasn't Regina's best plan, but she loved him regardless.

Regina slipped onto the sofa next to her snoozing son, resting her hand on his upper arm, Regina shocked to find muscles rather than his pudgy youthful arms she had once loved.

"Henry, dear…" Regina wished she could just let him sleep, but the position he was in was really not ideal.

Henry simply groaned, pushing his Mother's arms away.

"You need to go up to bed, my Little Prince…" Regina brushed some wayward hair from in front of the teenager's eyes.

"I'm not little anymore…" Henry grumbled.

Regina shuffled slightly backwards to let the younger brunette stretch his arms.

The woman turned her attention briefly to the baby who was now chewing on her fingers.

The Mayor laughed throatily as she, for the first time, noted what the little girl was wearing.

It was a snuggly onesie, which when you flipped the hood up had a cat nose and ears attached.

"What are you laughing at?" Henry finally sat up, rubbing the back of his neck, which had already started to go stiff.

"Look what your Ma has put this little one in…" Regina carefully balanced the little girl in one arm, so she could pull the hood up with the other.

That was obviously the wrong thing to do, the little girls starting to screech and squeal, Regina trying to shush her.

Regina eventually offered the little girl her finger, the girl still sniffling, but sucking on the finger gently.

"Is she hurt?" Henry asked, Regina almost cooing at the worried look on her son's face.

"No, dear. Babies can't tell us if they don't want us to do something, so they just cry…" Regina tried to explain as best she could. "She obviously didn't want her hood up."

Regina smiled, pushing the little cat hood back off her thin hair.

But Henry didn't look convinced, but he nodded anyway.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, Henry obviously had something on his mind, and Regina didn't want to move too far in case she disturbed Emma's Daughter once again.

"Mom..?" Henry bit his lip, Regina studying his tired features and determining something was definitely troubling the teenager.

"What is it, Henry?" Regina looked up at the boy, whose eyes were trained on his younger Sister.

"Why was Ma crying earlier?" Regina sighed. As Regina had been trying to usher Emma quickly out of the room, he must have spotted the tears in his birth Mother's eyes. "Is she ill?" Henry asked quickly, Regina shaking her head.

"No, dear… She's just finding it hard, with a new baby and…"

"Hook is a jerk." Henry stated, his jaw fixing itself into a hard line.

Although Regina agreed fully with what Henry had said, she had no idea what his reasoning behind it was.

Henry had always been quite taken with Killian.

The Pirate would allow Henry to play with the Swords, go sailing with him and do all the adventurous things his Mother's would rather he didn't.

Firstly Emma, and then eventually Regina had both finally conceded that Killian was in fact a natural with Henry and they both got on very well.

Regina wondered what had changed.

"Why do you say that, dear?" Regina shifted the baby on her lap, so she could swing her legs sideways and sit more comfortably.

"Whenever I go over, he always shouts at Ma. For stupid things and he doesn't need to, Ma always just goes and does what he says. But sometimes at night, when he's there and sometimes when he's not, I can hear her crying through my wall…"

Henry looked downcast at the fact his Mother was hurting and there was nothing he could do about it.

"She's going to stay here from now on, dear…" Regina rubbed Henry's shoulder, truly touched by his concern for his Mother.

Henry still looked troubled, but eventually an exhausted yawn tumbled from his lips.

"Bedtime, my Little Prince…" Regina nudged Henry's shoulder with her head. Henry went to protest, but Regina continued to speak. "I'll look after you Ma, Henry, I won't let that bastard within 10 feet of her, ok?"

Henry nodded, finally satisfied that Regina was going to be taking guard duty of Emma.

He smiled, at both his Mother and his little Sister, before kissing his Mother's cheeks and clomping loudly up the stairs.

Regina settled more comfortably on the sofa, crossing her legs and settling the little girl on the criss cross of her legs.

"I wonder if you'll have beautiful blonde hair like you Mama, or hair like Henry's…" Regina smiled and made some childish noises as the little girl seemed to babble back at her. "You have your Mama's gorgeous green eyes, yes you do, and you have the same nose…"

Regina ran her finger gently over the outside of the little girl's chubby cheeks, so unlike her Mama's very defined and sharp cheek bones.

"What are we going to do with your Mama?" The baby seemed to light up at the sound of Mama, her legs kicking wildly with excitement. "She's a keeper your Mama, I bet you grow up to be brave and pretty like her."

Regina chuckled as she bopped the little girl's nose with her index finger, the baby scrunching up her nose, before giving Regina a gummy grin.

Regina continued this, enjoying the serenity of a happy baby in her arms, when she heard a scuffling coming from the doorway.

"Henry Daniel Mills…" The words died on her tongue as Emma peered her head from around the doorway. "Emma, dear…"

Regina bit her lip, not sure how long Emma had been stood their, listening to her talking to the little girl.

"Come and sit…" Regina patted the sofa space next to her, where Henry had been sat 15 minutes before hand.

"I don't know what to do…" Emma whispered, drawing her hands protectively around her slightly swelled stomach.

She looked down at the see through materiel, eternally glad she had a nursing bra on. Not that it mattered, Regina had practically co-nursed with her earlier.

"What do you want, Emma?" Regina knew right now, Emma's safety and happiness was her main concern.

Emma finally landed next to Regina on the sofa, curling her feet underneath her and used her index finger to trace the outline of her little girl's face.

"I want my baby to be safe… I don't want her to grow up with a Dad who… a Dad who… Who hits me…" Emma sobbed, letting her body curl tighter in on itself.

Regina brought up her spare arm, brushing fallen hair from in front of Emma's tired eyes.

"You're safe here Emma, you and the little one, and Henry, you're all safe." Regina rubbed Emma's back, drawing the younger woman closer to her body.

Emma just melted into Regina's touch, wrapping her arms around the brunette and holding her like a life line.

Regina shifted the little girl on her lap, so she could hug both her and her upset Mama.

"It's alright, dear… Come on, you must still be so exhausted…" Regina kissed the side of Emma's head.

As if on cue, the little girl started to sob and scream in Regina's arms.

Punching her arms and legs in the air from the frustration of not being tended to immediately.

"I'm sorry my little baby…" Emma lifted her baby from Regina's arms, cradling her gently against her chest. "I don't know what to do…" Emma repeated, her voice almost silenced by the baby's screams.

"Ok, well, you can stay here with me. Henry is here, and I can help out…" Regina saw Emma's conflicted emotions, but there was no way she was going to sit back as Emma went crawling back to Hook.

"I can't just leave him, he's her Father…" Emma bit her lip, trying to soothe the little baby.

"You can, I am not letting you go back to him." Regina said sternly.

"I have to at least explain what I'm doing. I loved him Regina." Emma's voice broke again and Regina's anger broke, sighing as she brought a hand up to cup Emma's cheek.

"I know, dear…" Regina felt Emma lean into her touch, the two almost forgetting about the screaming girl.

"I think she's hungry…" Emma blushed, finally snapping back to reality.

"She's definitely something…" Regina chuckled, pretending to plug her ears as the screams went up an octave.

Emma shuffled her bra, pushing it off her shoulder, then pulling up her top. Her cheeks going red as she realised Regina was watching.

"Sorry, dear, I'll leave you to it, do you fancy a cup of tea?" Regina asked, making sure Emma was nursing ok, before leaving the room and making her way to the Kitchen.

When Regina returned Emma was all but asleep.

Her head had rocked backwards onto the sofas cushions, the baby was no longer nursing, only pinching at Emma's breast, leaving little red nail marks.

"Emma…" Regina placed the hot cups of tea on the side, jostling Emma's arm gently.

Emma jumped in shock as she awoke, not even realising she had fallen asleep.

"Shit…" Emma looked down at the little girl who was still messing with her nipple.

Emma pushed her top down, pulling up her bra swiftly and setting about burping the little girl.

"She's got quite appetite." Regina smiled, sipping at her own tea and Emma gently patted the baby's back.

"You're telling me, I haven't slept for more than 3 hours since she's been born." Emma sighed, but smiled, she loved her Daughter and would do anything for her.

Suddenly, the little girl burped a little too violently, projectile vomiting all over Regina's sofa and Emma's lap.

Emma let out a worried cry, tears slipping down her cheeks as she started to panic.

"I'm sorry Regina, I'm so sorry, our sofa is…" Regina shook her head, simply flicking her hand, her sofa was clean and so were Emma's clothes, but the little girl's face and Emma's hand was something else.

"I think you both need a bath." Regina joked, offering to take the little girl as Emma wiped her hands with some tissues Regina had gifted to her. "You know…" Regina stood with the little girl in her arms, waiting for Emma to follow suit. "When Henry was younger I used to bath with him, her way happy enough to lie on my chest, or I'd hold him in the water in front of me. He was quite the water baby."

Regina smiled, Emma following slightly nervously.

"My bath is bigger than the one in the family bathroom, use that one and have some time, just you and her…" Regina lead them up the stairs, Emma having to use the stair rail as she was so tired.

"Thank you Regina…" Emma smiled, before tugging Regina into a hug.

"It's quite alright, dear…" Regina deposited a chaste kiss on Emma's cheek. "Now go and have a bath, before you fall asleep on me…" Regina chuckled, chasing the blonde into the bathroom.

Emma emerged from the bathroom, almost an hour later, Regina having called through the door a fair number of times to make sure she was ok.

She first went to the cot, putting the little girl down, then dragged her feet warily over to the bed. Regina was sat in her silk pyjamas, reading a book, Emma making note of the glasses which were pushed up on the brunette's nose.

"Get in dear, it's almost 2am, you must be shattered…" Regina pulled the covers back and Emma snuggled immediately down, unconsciously snuggling close to Regina's side.

"Mhmm…" Emma just rubbed her face into the big pillows, sighing lightly as Regina turned off the light.

"I hope you're not a snorer." Regina joked, chuckling as she heard Emma's already slumbering body start to snore lightly.

 **WHAT DID YOU THINK?**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE ALL ENJOYING THIS! I WANT TO DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO A NEW FRIEND OF MINE, MIKAYLA ( .STORYBROOKE ON INSTA!)**

 **ENJOY THIS GURL!**

Regina awoke less than 2 hours later, she could hear the baby moving around, but she wasn't fussing.

Emma was deep in sleep.

At some point during the last couple of hours the blonde had rolled so she was pressed against Regina's side.

One of Emma's arms was draped over Regina, the other had a piece of Regina's top scrunched in her hand.

Regina glanced at the clock, to see it was barely 4am, her eyes were still tired and she had a light head ache.

She snuggled back down next to Emma, tugging the blonde closer and placing a light kiss on her temple.

Regina froze as she felt Emma's body go rigid against her.

"Killian… Please, don't…" Emma whimpered, Regina moved her hand from under the covers, catching Emma's leg as she did so. "NO!"

Emma screamed, Regina pulled her whole body away from Emma as she started to shiver.

"Emma?" Regina's panicked voice cut clear through the otherwise silent air.

Regina thanked the heavens that Henry was a heavy sleeper.

"I'm too tired…" Emma sobbed, curling up tightly, Regina biting her lip as the baby started to grizzle once again.

"Emma, it's Regina, dear…" Emma's eyes suddenly flung open, Emma pulled the blankets closer to her shivering body.

Regina rose from the bed, giving Emma a bit of room.

Regina scooped the little girl from her crib, she was kicking her legs against Regina's arms, Regina carrying her over to the changing table.

The brunette took her time changing the baby's nappy, checking everything was secure before lifting her back up and resting her on her shoulder.

Regina padded back over to the bed, sitting on top of the covers as she saw Emma still dithering violently.

"Emma, dear…" Regina took Emma's hand in her own, bringing the blonde back to reality.

Emma laced her fingers into Regina's, messing with the ring that was on Regina's ring finger.

Regina slid down on the bed, placing the baby between the two women, Emma still not ceasing her hold she had on Regina's slim fingers.

"It was from Daniel…" Regina said, gesturing towards the ring. Emma dropped her hand like it was fire, mumbling her apologies. "Emma, dear… It's ok…"

Regina took Emma's hand once again, rubbing their fingers together.

"I know you don't like talking about it…" Emma looked up at Regina, with the biggest, saddest green eyes Regina had ever seen in her life.

"I kind of proposed to him…" Regina let a longing smile dance on her lips, remembering back to time when things seemed so complicated and too difficult for Regina to even comprehend.

Her Mother had forbidden relationship with anyone but royalty, Regina of course finding herself falling for the most inappropriate suitor.

At the time the brunette hadn't cared, not until that fateful day, when she saved Snow off that dreaded horse.

"I was set to marry Snow's Father, and I of course didn't want to… We had decided to run away, so he used the loop from my horse's saddle…" Regina let the smile die as she remembered what came next.

"He sounds sweet…" Emma's eyes were now focused on her snoozing baby, but she hung onto every word Regina said.

"He was…" Regina's words drifted away, as she realised she was talking about her deceased fiancé in the past tense.

"The King wasn't kind, not like Daniel." Emma looked back up at Regina, who had tears in her eyes.

"You… You don't have to tell me…" Emma tightened her grip on Regina's hand.

"I just want you to know you're not alone. What Hook was doing to you isn't right Emma…" Regina let out a quiet sob, she pressed her forehead against Emma's cool head.

"Thank you." Emma whispered, rubbing her head against Regina's.

"We've got each other now, dear…" Regina promised, brushing her lips across Emma's forehead and placing a firm kiss.

They remained in that position, Emma pushing her head closer to Regina's lips.

"You should get some sleep, Emma…" Regina's lips moved lightly against Emma's skin, sending a shiver through the younger blonde's spine.

"I don't want to wake you up again…" Emma pouted lightly as Regina pulled her lips from Emma's face.

"You didn't wake me up dear, this little one did… You need some sleep." Regina went to pull her hand away from Emma, when she suddenly clamped hard on Regina's hand.

"I can't breathe!" Emma suddenly gasped, scratching at her throat with her free hand.

Regina used her magic to scan over Emma, confused as she found no medical reason for Emma's inability to not breathe.

"It's a panic attack." Regina climbed off to bed and walked around to Emma's side of the bed, so as not to disturb the baby.

"I'm going to die!" Emma sobbed, crunching her body up into a tight ball.

Emma just started to groan and pant in the bed, sobbing violently as Regina scooped her up.

Regina had never tried to lift Emma before, and she had never realised just quite how light the small blonde was.

"Emma, I'm here, my darling…" Regina had suffered years of panic attacks.

Back when Henry had decided she wasn't good enough to be her Mother, Regina had suffered in silence with her overwhelming self-hatred and loathing.

"I'm dying!" Emma whimpered, her chest heaving as Regina placed her on the floor. "Don't leave?"

Emma pined for Regina's touch, the brunette's heart breaking at Emma's pleas.

"You're not dying, Emma look at me…"

"I can't see, Regina I can't see, everything's fuzzy!" Emma screamed, hitting out and catching Regina off guard. The brunette toppled backwards, but quickly regained her balance. "HELP ME!"

Regina took a second.

She needed a plan, she first of all got up and placed the sleeping baby in the cot.

Regina then dashed to the bathroom and started to run a cool bath.

Emma was crying relentlessly, trying to rip her clothes off her exhausted body.

"Emma, hold my hand, my darling…" Regina laced her hand against Emma's.

"I can't feel my hands, I can't feel your hands…" Emma was completely out of breath as Regina's scooped Emma up once more.

She carried the emotionally spent woman to the bathroom, lowering her into the tub, pyjamas and all.

At first Emma fought it, trying to clamber out.

Regina kissed against Emma's forehead, letting her warm lips stay planted against Emma's brow, singing quietly to the distressed woman.

"Everyone longs to be loved. What can I say to that? But the door to the heart is open and shut…" Emma shivered against Regina, pushing her body closer to Regina. The brunette held Emma close, rubbing the length of her back and continuing to sing. "Like the warmth of your breath. Everyone longs to be heard. But we tend to get caught in the noise…"

Regina paused as she saw Emma taking long, deep, measured breaths.

"Thank you." The blonde whispered, her tongue darting out to dampen her chapped lips.

"I've got you Emma, you're safe…" Regina promised, rubbing her nose against Emma's hair and continuing to hold Emma safely in the bath.

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